


Gesture

by vehlr



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Smooching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-08 13:46:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6857461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vehlr/pseuds/vehlr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>But Kirkwall calls, from over the water, and Varric would not be Varric if he did not answer. And so they find themselves in the frosty dawn air in the courtyard of Skyhold, long after the goodbyes of last night’s party, just him and her and the cart taking him far away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gesture

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Satine86](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Satine86/gifts).



He is leaving.

The war is over. Corypheus is slain. And Varric Tethras is going home, finally - and she does not want him to, selfishly. She wants him to stay, to perhaps develop their friendship into something more - they had been growing closer as of late, and her heart has quite predictably fallen for the damned fool. She wants to tell him, to see if he feels the same.

She wants him.

But Kirkwall calls, from over the water, and Varric would not be Varric if he did not answer. And so they find themselves in the frosty dawn air in the courtyard of Skyhold, long after the goodbyes of last night’s party, just him and her and the cart taking him far away.

Cassandra swallows. _If ever there was a time to be bold_ -

“Varric!”

He throws his pack up onto the cart, before turning to her. “Seeker?”

“You… you will be missed,” she says, feeling the rush of bravery leave her just as quickly.

He smiles softly, taking her hands in his. “Yeah, well, I’ll miss things too. Tiny’s jokes, Buttercup’s laugh, your annoyed voice whenever I say something untoward… I’ll miss that a _lot_ , actually.”

“Truly?”

“Truly, Cassandra.”

At the sound of her name, something in her chest tightens, and her fingers clench around his. “Damn you,” she murmurs, before stooping to press her mouth against his. Hardly an elegant kiss, but heartfelt.

There is a strange look in his eyes as she pulls away, something bordering on wonder. “You -”

“Good luck, Varric.” She swallows again, blinking rapidly. _Not here, not where he can see -_

She turns on her heel, unwilling to watch him leave like this, and she clenches her fist as the cart starts to move, the horses steady in their pace towards the gate.

“Seeker!”

She does not want to look, does not want to see her heart leaving -

A hand grabs her wrist, tugs her around, and she almost loses her balance as Varric grabs her waist. “Hey, whoa -”

“Varric,” she says, voice thinner than she would like. “Varric, what are you _doing?_ ”

“Seeker, don’t walk away. Not… not from me.”

She stares at him. “You are _supposed_ to be on that cart.”

He grins up at her. “There’ll be another. Besides,” he adds, one hand curling around the small of her back, “ _I_ thought this was the part where we exchange over-the-top romantic gestures.”

“We - Varric, I -” She stops, closing her eyes for a moment as she collects her scattering thoughts. “Varric,” she begins again, “you belong in Kirkwall. You have spoken of nothing else. And I - I am to rebuild my Order. I have to -”

“Seeker, you know we can do our duty _and_ still see where this goes, right?”

“It will be hard -”

“Most things worth doing are,” he points out. “And this _is_ worth doing, Cassandra. I believe that. Do you?”

She smiles, relaxing in his arms. “Yes. I believe it with all my heart.”

“Good.” His hand bunches against her doublet. “I’d hate having missed my ride for nothing.”

The cart is out of sight now, the courtyard empty save for his pack, his crossbow and his arms around her waist.

“I am sorry,” she says softly. “I should have said… before, I mean.”

“Just glad you did at all, Seeker.” He grins again. “Hell of a kiss.”

“I have wanted to for some time. I -”

The world tips sideways as Varric moves, dipping her into his arms and scooping her legs up.

“ _Oh_ ,” she gasps, clutching at him.

“Over-the-top romantic gestures time,” he points out, before his grin relaxes into a soft smile. “It _will_ be hard,” he admits, “and we won’t always get to be like this. But we can _now_ , so… I’d rather be here than on the back of a cart.”

“When will you leave?”

“Tomorrow? Maybe the day after? I don’t know. Right now, I don’t care.”

She rests her forehead against his, smiling. “Quite the gesture.”

“Ah, Cassandra,” he laughs, “ _that’s_ not the gesture.”

Her fingers curl around his coat, her gaze dropping to his lips. “Varric?”

He tilts his head, leaning forward to capture her lips with his own, silencing the soft agreeable noise she gives. Her hand comes up to cup his head, fingers tightening around glossy strands as her mouth opens up to his touch, the kiss turning heated in the morning air.

“It’s about time!” calls a voice, but Cassandra rather thinks they are impossibly far away - for her, there is only him and his touch, surrounding her completely.

Still, they break, catching their breath with heated gazes and wide smiles.

“Maybe we should -”

“My quarters,” she says quietly, “seeing as yours will be cleared out shortly.”

“Last place they’d think to look for us,” he points out.

“I have a bed,” she counters, and feels her stomach flip at the way his breath catches.

“Yeah, good point.”

“Is that -”

“ _Maker_ , Seeker, it’s _more_ than alright, trust me.” He lets her down gently, helping her regain her footing. “ _Definitely_ more than alright.”

She smiles down at him, offering her hand. “I cannot promise another romantic gesture, I am terrible at them, but… I can promise my heart.”

His fingers thread through hers. “Seems like a fair trade,” he says softly, kissing her knuckles, “if you’ll have mine.”

“That,” she agrees, leading him towards the armoury, “sounds quite fair indeed.”


End file.
